Apparatus for manifolding and filing.



PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

J. BAILEY.

APPARATUS FOR MANIFOLDING AND FILING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1906.

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No. 838,513. 7 I PATENTBD DEG.18, 1906.

I J. BAILEY. APPARATUS FOR MANIFOLDING AND FILING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1906.

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No. 838 513. PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906. J. BAILEY. APPARATUS FOR MANIFOLDING AND FILING.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JAN. 3, 1906.

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JOSHUA BAILEY, OF WEST BRONIWIOH, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR IVIANIFOLDING AND FILING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed January 3, 1906. Serial No. 294,466-

TO aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA BAILEY, whole sale stationer and printer, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 27 Dartmouth street, WVest Bromwioh, in the county of Stafford, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Manifolding and Filing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the mode and means of manifolding or duplicating and filing letters and the like, and has for its object to provide compact and simple means wherein letters and the like are manifolded or duplicated, the original being removed, despatched, and the reply thereto filed with the duplicate of the outgoing letter, a compact punch being provided for facilitating this, the letter-file and index being adapted to be removed from the main portion of my apparatus when full and to be replaced by another file containing the manifolding-paper.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more readily carried into practice, I have appended hereunto three sheets of drawings illustrating the same, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus complete and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a plan of the case or main portion of the apparatus, the index and file being removed. Fig. 3 is a plan of the letter-punch. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a plan of the letter-file with the cover thrown back. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan of the spring-clip used in the letter-file. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.- 9 is a front elevation or edge view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the construction of an apparatus for duplicating and filing letters according to the form of my invention shown upon the accompanying drawings I employ an outer or permanent case A, made up in the form of a book-cover. Inside the case A, preferably on the right-hand or lower side, Iprovide runners a, (see'Fig. 2,) into which the pad B is adapted to he slid, this pad B carrying the copy-sheets'b and letter-file E E or equivalent means may be employed for securing in position in the permanent case. These copysheets I) are integral with or secured to the narrow strips 6 and adapted to be separated therefrom by tearing along the perforated line W. The carbon-paper C for producing the duplicate copy has eyelets 0 near one edge. Mounted in the case or cover A at the side of the book B are rods or loops 0 on which the carbon-paper is adapted to be fitted by means of its aforesaid eyelets c and being retained thereon by nuts 0 or other equivalent means may be used. On the opposite side of the carbon-sheet O, I provide a tab 0, by which it is adapted to be gripped, thus avoiding the soiling of the users fingers consequent upon gripping the carbon-sheet itself. I also provide a writing plate or base D, having on its rear edge a projecting portion d (see Fig. 2) for dividing the copysheets, as explained more fully hereinafter. The writing-plate D is provided with a hole near one corner, whereby it is pivoted upon a vertical pin (2 fixed to the case or cover. This vertical pin d is screw-threaded upon its upper portion and receives two nuts (1 (see Figs. 1, 2, and 9) or equivalent supports or attachments, one of which is immediately below and the other immediately above the writing-plate, being so arranged that by jointly raising or lowering them the height of the writmg-plate may be varied according to the depth of unused copy-sheets b.

The letter-file (see especially Figs. 58) comprises two or more prongs E, fixed to the case A, and a corresponding number of ivoted prongs E adapted to be turned bac to permit the insertion or removal of the letters or copies. The prongs E are pivoted upon a base-piece e, secured to the case A, the basepiece 6 having upturned portions or cars e by which the horizontal rod 2 is carried. The sides of the said ears e have inward projections e" behind the prongs E when in their normal position and so arranged to offer resistance to the prongs passing them, thereby preventing the prongs returning to their closed position when pushed back beyond the project-ions e", which they normally tend to do by the action of the spring e which holds the prongs E against the fixed prongs E when they are pulled forward by the hand past the aforesaid projections e. Secured to the cover or case A, I also provide a punch F for perforating the incoming letters with holes corresponding with the prongs on the letter-file, whereby they areenabled to be filed along with the duplicate copies of the outgoing letters. This punch in- -itspreferred form consists of a strip F of sheet too metal secured to the case A at eitherend and arched to provide a space below it into which the letter-is adapted to be inserted toenable' cured to the cover or case A under the strip F is another stripf having holes therein corres onding with the punching-toolsf forming ie-plates f through which the punchingtoolsf pass when the' strip is depressed by the user, corresponding hol'es-bein'g'ma'de in the coverthrough which the bitsof paper out out by the punching are adapted to pass away. In some cases I may-arrange'thelower or die platef above the-"pad-cover, thereby avoiding the necessity of perforating the permanent case or cover. If necessary, springs may be employed 'to return the'strip F to its normal position after use, such springsbein'g arrangedaround the punching to'ols 'or any other suitable position; I also provide an index G, either fast or loose, whichisa-daptedtobekept closed by-a nut g working upon a vertical pin g in the case or cover A;

The manner of using myapparatus is as follows:- The case A, constructed asherein before described, is opened out, the cover of the pad Bbeing thrown back. The topmost leaf or sheet of aper is raised and the carbonpaper C placed thereunder, while the writing-plate D ismoved under the second sheet ofpaper, in doing which the projectiond thereon dividesthe rear portions b of the leaves, which were originally held together by glue or otheradherent, therebyenabling a reply or incoming letter-tobefiled adja cent to' the duplicate of-the outgoing letter in the manner hereinafter described. The letter'is next written in the usual manner, a duplicate copy being produced by means-oi the carbon-sheet. The topmost sheet, now the original letter; is then'torn' off along the perforated line b and'the duplicate copy thrown back, asseen at Fig. 1. The operation is then repeated'for the next letter. Uponreceipt of the replyor incoming letter it is perforated to correspond with the prongs E by placing it under the strip F, which is then depressed, thereby making theholes,as

previously described. The prongs E are then pushed back'-'against the action 'ofth'e spring. 6 until they are past the projections 4 e which cause the-prongsE to remain apart from the prongsE, when the reply maybe placed upon the said prongs E next to" the duplicatebf the letter to which it is a reply by means= -of the holes already punched, as previously' describ'ed, when the prongsE are again: pulled forward" and closed, thereby preventing the possibility ofthe letters or copiesbeing accidentally removed The duplicate copy'of the outgoing letter and the reply are then indexed in the index G,- and being adjacent'to one another such indexing may be performed at one operation. When all the leaves of the pad have been used, the pad is removed and replaced with a new one, the duplicates and letters in the original pad remaining therein as a permanent file. The

index may be removed and filed with each pad or may remain and be used for a number of pads. When the carbon is worn out, nuts 0 are removed and then the used carbon, a new carbon being putin itsplace' and secured by replacing the nuts; v

In someca-sesI may" employaplurality of carbon-sheetswhen it is desired to produce more than one duplicate copy, the mannerof mounting being similar to that previously-described, or I may dispense with the use of the carbon-sheets when it isnot desired to produce a copy, the lettersbeing removed in the manner previously described. When it is desired to use my apparatusfor-produ'cinga carbon-copy in the type-writer, the writingplate D is'employed to divide the two topmost leaves of the pad from the remainder-of the said pad. Acarbon-sheet is then interposed between the aforesaid two leaves, which are thenin'serted in the type-writer and used in the usual'm anner, the original letter being torn away and the duplicate copy replaced upon the file.

What I claim, then, is

1. In apparatus-for maniiolding and filing letters and the like, the combinationof an outer case provided with runners and a rod, a removablep'ad of copy-sheetsadapted to slide in the said runners,-afile secured upon said pad forstoring letter-sheets, a carbon-paper mounted upon said case and adapted to be placed between the copy-sheets of said =p'ad, a writing base-plate pivotally-mounted upon the rod aforesaid and adapted to be placed between the-said copy-sheets, nuts 'upon said rod above 'and below' said basepl'ate and means secured to said-case comprisin'g'an arched strip with punches registering with dielates-for punching holes inthe lettersto ena le them to b'e'filed, and an index secure within said case; I

2. In apparatus for manifoldi-ng and filing letters and the like, the combination of an outer case provided with a rod a removable pad ofcopy-sheet'sand means for-securing same in said case,'-a'baseplate carried by said rod an'd adapted to be placed between the copy-sheets; a file secured upon thebase of said removable pad for storing letter sheets, and a'carbon-sheet' mounted upon said "case and adapted to be placed between the-said copy sh'eets.

3. In' an-apparatus for manifolding" an'd fili ng'lettersand the li-ke, the combination of an outer case, aremovablepad of 'copy-sheets mounted in said case; a rod fsecured to said case, a-base-plate for-*placingbetween the said copy-sheets and pivotally carried b'y'said outer case, a removable pad of copy-sheets in I 5 said case, a plurality of bent screwed wires secured to said case, a carbon-pa er having one edge thereof engaged by sald ent wires, and nuts on said bent wires for retaining the carbon-paper thereon.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSHUA BAILEY.

Witnesses:

HAROLD J. O. FoRREsTER, STANLEY BANNER. 

